Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Desert Lotus Retreat operates this website to provide information about our Sahara desert tour services based in M'Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you visit our website or contact us.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting any information you may share with us. This policy applies to all visitors of our website, regardless of where you are located.

2. Information We May Collect

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Your IP address (anonymized where possible)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring website addresses
• Pages you visit and time spent on them
• Date and time of your visit

When you contact us directly (for example, via WhatsApp, email, or our contact forms), we may collect:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• Any information you choose to provide in your message

3. How Information Is Used

We may use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries about our desert tours and services
• Provide you with information about trips, availability, and pricing
• Improve our website and user experience
• Maintain the security of our website
• Comply with legal obligations, if applicable

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

4. Contact and WhatsApp Interactions

When you contact us through WhatsApp, email, or other messaging services, your communication is handled directly between you and Desert Lotus Retreat. We use your contact information solely to respond to your enquiry and provide the services you request.

WhatsApp is operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. Your use of WhatsApp is subject to WhatsApp's own privacy policy. We encourage you to review WhatsApp's privacy practices.

5. Booking Enquiries

When you enquire about booking a tour or trip, we may collect additional information necessary to process your request, such as preferred dates, group size, and any special requirements you share with us.

Booking and payment processes may be handled through third-party services or directly between you and Desert Lotus Retreat. We do not store payment card details on our website.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

Our website uses minimal cookies and local storage for essential functionality, such as:

• Language preferences
• Navigation state
• Basic site functionality

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party analytics cookies on this website. We do not currently operate a cookie consent banner because our site uses only essential cookies that do not require consent under most applicable regulations.

If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and provide appropriate consent mechanisms.

7. Third-Party Services

Our website uses the following third-party services:

Google Fonts

Our website loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com). When you visit our site, Google may collect your IP address and other information as described in Google's privacy policy. Google Fonts is used to improve the visual presentation of our website.

Icons

Icons on our website are loaded directly from the site (as inline SVG graphics) and no third-party icon service is used. We no longer load icons from the Cloudflare CDN (cdnjs.cloudflare.com).

Google Maps

Our website includes an embedded Google Maps iframe showing our location in M'Hamid El Ghizlane. When you interact with this map, Google may collect your IP address and other information as described in Google's privacy policy.

WhatsApp

Our website includes links to WhatsApp for contacting us directly. Clicking these links will open the WhatsApp application or website, which is operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. WhatsApp's own privacy policy applies to any information you share through that platform.

Social Media

Our website links to our pages on Instagram and Facebook. These platforms are operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. Your use of these platforms is subject to their respective privacy policies.

8. Website Hosting

This website is hosted on Netlify. Netlify's infrastructure may collect technical information about your visit, such as your IP address, browser type, and request headers, as described in Netlify's privacy policy.

9. Analytics

We do not currently use any analytics or tracking services on this website. We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or similar tracking technologies.

If we add analytics services in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide appropriate consent mechanisms where required.

10. Data Retention

We retain information you share with us only for as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry or provide the services you request. Technical data collected automatically through server logs may be retained for a limited period for security and operational purposes.

We do not maintain long-term databases of personal information.

11. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect. Our website uses HTTPS encryption, and access to any personal information is limited to those who need it to respond to your enquiries.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

12. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, or delete your data. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information below.

We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

13. Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to external websites (such as Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us:

• Email: retreatdesertlotus@gmail.com
• WhatsApp: +212 6 09 99 39 18
• Location: M'Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco